Her Hair
by Niphuria
Summary: Each guest at the Queen's Tea Party have emotionally revealing thoughts about hair.


I don't own Alice in Wonderland or any of its characters. Based on the 2010  
Tim Burton film.  
Rated M for adult concepts.  
Written for the Alice and Tarrant Pr0n Battle at LiveJournal.

I thank my very special Beta-Reader, Narugirl!

Each guest at the Queen's Tea Party have emotionally revealing thoughts about  
hair.

**Her Hair**

It is just the three of us at Tea this morning; Mirana, Alice, and myself. I  
normally don't prefer to have Tea at Marmoreal, but when the Queen requests  
something, it is difficult to refuse. Especially when Alice is present.

"Alice." The name rolls off my tongue like a cascade of sugar and cream.  
Alice. Even in my mind it is the most beautiful and lyrical name I have ever  
known.

She comes around the table and bends down to kiss my cheek.

"Good morning, Tarrant," she softly sighs against my flesh. I shiver and  
giggle nervously. Her hair brushes my cheek and tickles my neck.  
Her golden, shining, unruly yet so perfectly Alice hair. I long to reach up  
and run my fingers through it, but I don't dare. I am only a Mad Hatter after all.

Still, I can't help but wonder how that hair would feel against other parts of  
my body? Oh, I know those are Bad Thoughts, but I cannot help myself. Our  
Champion is more than a Champion to me. She is more than the Champion of  
Underland, in my eyes. She is the Champion and the Queen of my heart.

A single strand of her shimmering golden hair would be enough for her to tie  
me to her forever. It would be more than enough to bind my soul to hers.

If she would condescend to allow a single lock, just one curl, to brush  
against my naked flesh anywhere she liked, my body would be bound to her, too.  
My traitorous body would give me away. My body would betray how I feel about  
her.

Did she know that? And, if she ever did, how would she feel? Would she be  
repulsed; or perhaps, if I am blessed, would she be pleased?

She laughs now and pecks my cheek once more.

"I'm so glad you're here, Tarrant!"

She moves and seats herself across Mirana and myself at the small, round  
marble-topped table.

She looks at me and smiles her radiant Alice smile. I blush and look down at  
my hands. A single strand of that precious hair lay across the bandages. My  
heart races as I carefully and discreetly collect it and gently tuck it into  
my coat pocket.

Does Queen Mirana realise how very beautiful she is? Oh, but she must! She  
is the kindest and wisest woman in all of Underland. She must know that she  
is also the most beautiful woman in the world. What is it like to be so  
beautiful, and more importantly, so loved?

Her white hair reminds me of living moonlight. She herself is a living  
celestial body, and her hair is her corona. When I see the moon I see the  
light surrounding it, as well, and I inevitably find my thoughts straying to  
her. Her deep brown eyes remind of the mysteries of the moon. Her hair  
softens, yet adds allure to those unknown and whispers to me that some  
mysteries are best left unexplored, else their beauty be spoilt.

She looks at me and I blush. Oh, bother! How embarrassing! She knows that I  
have been staring at her! Oh, Alice, you've surely done it now!

My hands tremble as I grasp the tongs and clumsily drop one lump of sugar into  
my tea. I raise the cup to my lips, trying to regain my shaken composure, but  
the cup rattles against the saucer as I do, and my mortification intensifies  
as the tea sloshes about.

Mirana laughs softly and tries to catch my gaze. She knows! She knows  
exactly what I am thinking of, and worse yet, how I feel, doesn't she? She  
knows that I love her!

And even if she isn't laughing at the fact that I am in love with a woman,  
which is so very wicked and shameful, she finds my discomfiture funny!

I cast my eyes about, desperate to lock onto anything but hers. And then I  
see Tarrant's face. He looks suddenly unhappy. His eyes are blue and his  
ascot has drooped. His jacket is gray instead of sapphire. Even his top hat  
looks wilted and sad.

Mirana knows how I feel about her, and now, so does Tarrant.

I am utterly miserable.

I stop laughing. Alice is devastated! I never meant to hurt my dear friend.  
I suddenly realise that she sees me as more than a friend and a pretty face.  
She...she has feelings for me!

Her hair. Her beautiful shining locks of hair veil her eyes as she casts them  
downward toward her lap. It is unnaturally and uncomfortably silent at the  
table now, and it is all because of my own careless and thoughtless  
behaviour.

Tarrant seems unhappy with me, too. Or is is unhappy for another reason? I  
don't have time to ponder upon him right now, however, for I must see to  
Alice.

I rise.

"Tarrant, please excuse us for a few minutes. I need to speak with Alice  
alone."

I take Alice's hand and she reluctantly allows me to lead her to a secluded  
corner of the garden.

She still does not look at me.

"Queen Mirana, I am terribly sorry..."

"Hush, dear," I whisper to her. "And call me Mirana. There is nothing for  
you to be sorry for."

Now she raises her eyes to mine. They are misted with unshed tears.

"But there is, and you know what I mean, don't you?"

I sigh sadly and clasp both of her hands in mine. My heart twists painfully,  
for I feel for her. I more than feel for her, I love her! But, as Queen of  
Underland, I cannot return her love. There are expectations of me and no  
matter how my heart aches to love her and be with her, I cannot.

"Yes, Alice," I say, hearing my voice choke, "I do. And I understand, for I  
feel the same way toward you."

Her eyes light with hope but I destroy it instantly with my next words.

"But I cannot love you, my darling. My heart wants to; it aches to! But I am  
Queen. I must not love someone who cannot...cannot..."

"Provide you with heirs," she finishes with a broken whisper.

"Yes," I say, feeling tears well in my own eyes now.

"I understand," she says, swallowing hard. "I...I want to return to Tea  
now."

"Of course," I say. "Alice, I will not return with you, but please understand  
that I need you to remain my dearest friend. Will I...see you tomorrow?"

My Champion nods bravely. "Yes."

"Alice?" I tentatively ask. She had turned to leave me, but now looks back.

"Yes, my...Mirana?"

"May I have a lock of your hair before you go? It, like you, is beautiful and  
precious."

She nods once more.

Alice returns alone and silently sits beside me. Tears are streaming down her  
face and my heart breaks for her. Yes, it breaks for myself as well, but she  
is more important to me than my own life. Above all, I need for her to be  
happy.

"Alice? Would you like to talk?"

I hand her my handkerchief and she accepts it readily. She dabs at her eyes.

"I...I don't want to talk about it, Tarrant. It's too...too..."

I gather all of my courage and pull her into my lap and embrace her. To my  
immense relief she settles against me and allows herself to cry.

"Oh, Tarrant, I've made such a hash of everything! I cannot fit in back home,  
and even here I cannot be loved by the one I love! And on top of all that,  
I've humiliated myself before the man I admire and care for the most, and the  
Queen, too! I'm such a fool!"

Her tiny hands scrabble at my back as she sobs into my neck, forgetting about  
the handkerchief. I'm selfishly pleased. I can at least be here to comfort  
her, and her tears on my flesh are an honour, albeit a painful one.

"You are not a fool!" I tell her, unable to keep a hint of anger from my  
voice. "Alice, never say such a thing! You are the most incredible woman I  
have ever known. You are courageous, strong, beautiful, and passionate. No  
matter what decorum dictates, the Queen is the fool for refusing your love.  
I'd never be so foolish! If you felt even a hundredth of the love for me that  
you do for her I'd accept it with the utmost gratitude and lay my heart and  
soul at your feet. I'd..."

I stop and feel my eyes go wide as saucers. What had I just said? Here the lass has had her heart broken by the Queen and I complicate things for her by blurting out my own feelings!

"I'm so sorry, Alice!" I whisper quickly. "I shouldn't have said that! I..."

She raises her tear-stained face to me and I'm taken aback by the sternness of  
her features.

"Tarrant Hightopp, don't ever be sorry you said that! But...do you mean it?  
Do you truly?"

She stares at me boldly now.

I swallow and nod. "Aye, I do. But that doesn't mean you..."

"Shut it, Tarrant," she says, giggling through her tears. "Just shut it and  
be my dearest friend. And if you continue to mean what you said, I dare you  
to try and make me feel the same!"

Hope surges in my heart and I know that my eyes have changed colour. Alice  
stares at my eyes in wonder.

"Purple? I've never seen them purple before," she whispers.

"Never mind that for now, lass," I say, cupping her face in my palms. "I'll  
take that dare of yours."

"Good," she says, smiling. "It will take some time, though..."

"I don't care," I tell her. "I'll take all the time in the world for you." I  
mean it, too! I'll get Alice to love me yet! I don't care if I have to woo  
her for decades or make her countless dresses and hats. I'll win her heart in  
the end. I will. That is a Hightopp Vow.

She smiles and then her eyes fill with wonder. She reaches a hand to my hair  
and gently rubs a lock between her delicate fingers.

"Your hair," she says, sounding awed. "I never noticed how incredibly  
beautiful it is."


End file.
